


It's Me, Dave Strider

by parasiticfox



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multi, Sexy Times At Some Point, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parasiticfox/pseuds/parasiticfox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been four years since the mysterious disappearance of Dave Strider. His friends stopped looking for him two years ago, figuring it was hopeless. He was gone and there was nothing they could do about it; not anymore. Even Dave’s optimistic best friend John was beginning to lose motivation.</p><p>That is, until one night in June, there was a knock on John’s apartment door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends!!! this is my second homestuck fanfic, so i hope it's alright. i had written one before, but there was a part of me in it that i didn't like. i got inspiration for this in a dream so i kinda just spewed it all out into word. hopefully it's alright!

It has been four years since the mysterious disappearance of Dave Strider. His friends stopped looking for him two years ago, figuring it was hopeless. He was gone and there was nothing they could do about it; not anymore. Even Dave’s optimistic best friend John was beginning to lose motivation.

That is, until one night in June, there was a knock on John’s apartment door.

Let’s begin earlier that day, shall we?

It was a typical day for one John Egbert; waking up early, eating a small breakfast, and showering. It was a Friday, which means he would go out for lunch with his good friend Rose. They had done this every week since Dave had left, and it really helped John get his mind off of everything. They went to a small sandwich shop in the center of their quaint town, talking and enjoying each other’s company for an hour or two. It was nice for them to both get away from their problems and just be happy for a little while.

When he stepped inside the shop at exactly 11:00 A.M., Rose was already at their usual table with her coffee. John smiled at the familiarity like he always did, walking over with a small wave.

"Hey, Rose!"

"Hello, John. It's nice to see you again." she greeted, standing to hug him.

The hug was a little different that time, John noted. Rose held him a little closer, face pressed against his chest with the height difference and arms wrapped tightly around his torso. It allowed him to easily pick out the smell of tobacco on her clothes, masked only slightly by vanilla perfume. John was a little worried, as he thought Rose had quit smoking. She only picked it up, along with drinking, after Dave's disappearance. While she cut out the drinking almost entirely, she was slowly stopping smoking as well. The worried feelings drifted once he saw her small, content smile again.

They sat down with quiet sighs, Rose immediately intertwining her fingers atop the table. "So, I have some news." News? Oh, great. "Don’t give me that face, Jonathan. It’s nothing bad.” 

John cursed her mentally for always being able to read his expressions, but tilted his head as a signal for her to continue. 

"Jade and Jake will be returning from their travels in a few days." she announced, clearly excited. While John was close with his sister, Rose and Jade had always been best friends. She was always the first to know about the Harley/English adventures, much to John’s displeasure. They were his family, he should know first! 

"Since this will be their only return for quite some time, we've decided to hold a small service." Rose said, breaking the boy’s train of thought.

"Huh? What are we holding a service for?" John asked, clearly confused.

"Well, John…" she started, her expression quickly turning to what John assumed was sadness. "It’s been nearly four years since my brother’s disappearance. Since we’re unaware of his location or whether or not he’s alive-"

“He’s alive, Rose.” John interrupted, speaking through his teeth. Rose could see how tense he was, but she needed to get it through his head that false hope wouldn't help the situation.

"It has been four years, John. There is no way that you or any of us could know that. I appreciate your optimism, but it is only-"

"Shut up, will you?! Dave is alive and he’s going to come back! I know he is!" John yelled, standing up and slamming his hands against the table. The other customers were glancing over confused, and Rose’s face was getting a bit red.

"John, please. Calm down and we can talk about this, alright?"

"There isn't anything to talk about, Rose! You've all said he was dead the minute he fucking disappeared! I’m the only one that still has hope and you’re not going to take that away from me, too!" he screamed at her, grabbing his jacket and storming out. He didn't stop when he heard Rose calling for him, or when the old lady yelled at him to slow down, or the cars honked at him to get out of the road. 

It was a miracle he even managed to make it back to his apartment in one piece. He expected Rose to show up and try to talk to him or at least message him on Pesterchum, but he was wrong. Once John felt truly alone in the tiny apartment, he cracked open the alcohol cabinet he hadn't touched in a good year or two. He grabbed a bottle of Vodka, settling himself down on the couch as he stared at the black television in front of him.

It had been four years since Dave left without a trace.

John tilted the bottle back, taking a swig and wincing at the bitter taste.

Rose was right, he could be dead and they wouldn't even know.

Swig.

If Dave really had left willingly, he hadn't even bothered to call or message John before he left.

Swig.

Dave’s brother stopped answering John’s calls last year.

Swig.

He must have thought Dave dead, too.

Swig.

Swig.

Swig.

Swig.

It went on like that for about an hour before John finally passed out. It had been quite a while since he drank like that, since Rose talked him out of his alcoholic tendencies during the second year when she threatened to tell his father. He would be furious, mostly because John was only 17 at the time and it wasn't legal. That had always seemed silly to him, as John had been drinking with Dave since he was 15. They would sneak alcohol from Dave’s brother, but eventually they got caught. He didn't care that they were drinking, he just cared that they were drinking from his stash. That was how a 15 year old John and a 16 year old Dave ended up with fake ID’s to buy their own alcohol. If John had been awake, he probably would have smiled at this memory. He had always loved hanging out with Dave, no matter what they were doing. They were best friends, and John had certainly missed that other the years.

When John did finally wake up, it was around 1:00 in the morning and he had a pounding head ache. It was so bad; he swore he could hear it pounding. Wait, no, that’s the door. Fuck, who even goes to someone’s apartment at this hour? John sure as hell didn't know, but that wasn't really on his mind as he stumbled over to the door. He swung the door open, silently praising the Lord when the banging stopped.

The person in front of him had orange hair from what he could see poking out from his beanie, but he must have dyed it because his eyebrows were brown. His eyes seemed dark, but that’s all he could really tell in the light. He was wearing a jacket as well as-

"Uh..."

John’s eyes snapped up when the person spoke, jumping slightly. 

"Egbert?" the man asked.

He knew that voice. It was deeper and lacking the slight accent but he knew it. 

“It’s me, Dave Strider.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you SO much for the wonderful response on the last chapter! it gives me a lot of motivation to continue! hopefully you like this chapter c: <3

“It’s me, Dave Strider.”

John’s mind went completely blank. Could it really be Dave? His hair wasn’t blond… and no shades? Or accent? He was still scrawny from what he could tell, but his face was definitely more defined and he still had the same ear piercings and it was all too much. His head was still pounding and his stomach was churning and he didn’t even have time to stop himself before he was bent over, the contents of his stomach spilling onto Dave’s familiar red converse, just missing the duffel bag next to him..

Dave immediately took a step back, grimacing at the sight. “Way to greet a dude, Egbert.”

John stood up, wiping his mouth and groaning. “Sorry, I… uh, come inside.” He mumbled, stumbling in himself. Dave followed him in, carefully slipping off his shoes and dropping his bag before walking behind him to the bathroom.  
“You can wash them in the tub.” John said, grabbing his toothbrush. His own vomit breath was bothering him, so he was sure Dave wouldn’t want to be around it.

When they were both done washing up, John showed him to the living room and they sat down next to each other. They stayed quiet as Dave glanced around the room, taking in the sights. John still had a large movie collection (though there was no sign of Con-Air... strange.) and old school Nintendo consoles were tucked neatly away. He wondered how much John had changed over the years, or if he had at all. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, John spoke first.

“You look different.”

“That’s sort of essential when you don’t want to be found.” Dave shrugged, scratching the back of his neck.

“Where did you go?”

“Stayed with some friends,”

John's tone rose notably. “We were your friends.”

Dave paused, staring at him. He figured John would be happy to see him after so long, but he looked anything but pleased. Maybe he hadn't thought his plan through as much as he should have.

“I needed out.”

“You could have stayed with one of us.”

“I needed out of the city, John. I couldn't be near him anymore.”

“Couldn’t be near who?”

Dave took a breath, talking through his teeth. “Dirk,”

It was John who paused this time. In all the years John had known Dave, he hadn’t once referred to his brother by his actual name. He only knew it because Rose had told him at some point. Though Dave and his brother had a strange relationship, they never really fought. Still, Dave was only 15 when he left. Dirk had warned them not to call the police and John never knew why. When he tried to ask Rose about it, she always changed the subject.

“What happened?” he asked cautiously.

“Do we have to talk about his now? I’ve been cramped in a car full of assholes for hours and sleep sounds great right now.” Dave sighed, leaning back against the couch.

This was a bad idea, however, because as soon as Dave got the words out, John’s fists were balled and he was gritting his teeth. He was a little startled, as John had never been one to get furious.

“You just stride in to my apartment looking completely fucking different after being gone for almost four god damn years and you don't want to talk about it?! Everyone thought you were dead, Dave! You didn’t bother to call or text or show your fucking face ever again! Did you even stop to think how that would affect us?!” John screamed, standing up now. He was glad Dave was back, but he didn’t appreciate the way he talked about this so lightly.

“John, listen, I’m sorr-“

“No, Dave! Rose has been practically smoking herself to death since you left! And Jade? She didn’t leave her house for the first year and nearly attempted suicide twice! When your brother finally snapped on Jake, he took her travelling and they haven’t been back since. You did that to us, Dave.”

It was silent after that, save for John’s heavy breaths. John was giving him the coldest stare, he felt like would turn to stone. The eyes he always thought to be so lively and the perfect muse for his photographs were now filled with anger and maybe even hatred. Dave understood; he hated himself, too. He figured his friends would be mad, but he didn’t expect all that stuff. He didn’t realize his importance to them.

“Tell me where you went,” John said, breaking the silence.

“I stayed with Karkat and his buddies.” Dave explained, speaking just above a mumble.

“Karkat Vantas? From our old school?”

“How many idiots would name their kid Karkat?”

“Oh, shut up.” John rolled his eyes, fighting back the smile that wanted to show. He couldn’t, not yet. He was supposed to be mad.

“Anyway, his buddy Gamzee started getting into some trouble with the police and shit. I didn’t want to get involved in any of that, so I had to get out of there. I had been planning on comin’ to see you sometime soon, so I figured now would be best.” he recalled with a nod. It had been Dave’s intention for quite some time to come visit at least John. He wouldn’t admit this, but he missed him since the day he left.

John listened, nodding as he went on. Karkat had been a mutual friend of theirs in middle school before he moved away. He went to live with Rose’s girlfriend Kanaya’s family, since his father went off to some other country to preach about peace or something. John never really listened to Karkat’s rambling when they were friends. All of what Dave was saying made sense, though, except for one thing. John had moved into his own apartment just a few months ago, so Dave couldn’t have found his place without asking someone else first.

“So, wait. How the hell did you find out where I live?” he asked, hoping it would answer his thoughts.

“Sollux, another one of Karkat’s friends, is really good with computers and shit. I paid him like sixty bucks to find you, then another forty for the actual location.” he admitted. “The asshole's good at scamming, I'll give him that much.”

“You paid 100 dollars just to find me?” John gasped. He was flattered that Dave would go to such lengths to find him, but also a little creeped out. “Why didn’t you just ask someone?”

“I didn’t want to risk anyone finding out. Oh, that’s another thing. If you do let me stay here, you can’t tell anyone I’m here. Please.” Dave pleaded, whispering the last word. He wasn’t exactly raised with manners; just to be a hardass that got his way with his charm. Since he wasn’t exactly his brother’s biggest fan anymore, he figured it was time to put a stop to all that. He remembered Rose telling him time and time again to step out of his brother's shadow, and he'd been working on that for a good four years.

“Dave, I’ve got to at least tell Rose. She thinks you’re dead.”

“Let her think that.” he blurted. “She can’t know I’m here, John. I don’t need her up my ass about all this. Not yet, anyway. Just give me some time, okay?”

For once, John could read Dave’s emotions. He was serious, but he was worried. He really didn’t want to talk to Rose, and he could understand that. Rose was very nosy and bossy at times, even John wouldn’t want to talk to her yet if he were in Dave’s shoes.

“Fine, you can stay here. On one condition, though.”

“Alright, what is it?” he asked, confused.

John let a small smile shine through for once. “You have to bleach your hair back, it looks awful.”

Dave’s signature smirk was on his lips immediately as he nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

John beamed, leaning over to hug Dave tight for the first time in years. The fact that he was finally hugging his best friend again proved too much for the young Egbert, causing him to suddenly shake as tears began streaming down his face. His crying turned to sobbing when Dave squeezed a little harder before pulling away to look at him.

“John? Shit, dude, what’s wrong?” Dave exclaimed, worry washing over his features. Such nice features, John noticed.

“I’m just… You’re here! You’re back and it’s so great, Dave. I missed you so much.” John cried, smiling wide. “I’m so glad you’re here… Don’t leave again, okay?”

“Nah, I ain’t going anywhere.” Dave smiled, shaking his head. This was the John he remembered; the one he had been best friends with since their days of crayons and nap times.

“You promise…?” John whispered, wiping some of the tears away. He felt like a child, but he didn't care. His best friend was back and that's all that mattered.

“Yeah, yeah, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's it! i hope you all enjoyed it! the next chapter will be a little longer but it will be up sometime next week uvu feedback/kudos/subs are much appreciated!
> 
> ((also, you can come say hi to me on my tumblr andrevvhussie if you want, i'd love to talk to you!!))


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am SO sorry this took so long, oh my god. my documents kept deleting and shit wasn't opening and not to mention the pain in the ass that is pesterlog formatting. next one won't take this long, i promise! thanks for sticking around uwu

John awoke the next morning feeling much better than he had the night before, though his head ache still refused to go away completely. He got up in silence, socked feet dragging across the carpeted floor as he walked into the kitchen. After a few moments of quiet pondering and a mental debate in his mind, he decided to just make some pancakes. It had been quite a while since John had actually made breakfast that wasn't just cereal, so he was a little giddy. With that, he made as much noise as he damn well pleased, completely forgetting about the person sleeping on his futon until two arms wrapped around his waist.

"Mornin', sunshine." 

John froze, spinning around with his hand tightly wrapped around his spatula. "Shit, Dave! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, princess, won't happen again." Dave smirked, giving him a wink before sitting up on the counter. John smacked him with the spatula and he kicked back, resulting in a small war. It ended abruptly when John stopped mid-swing, staring at the now red-head's face.

"Your eyes are red again," he mumbled. "How come they were brown last night?"

"I had coloured contacts in." Dave explained, stealing a chocolate chip from the bowl John had out. "Not wearing them would have been fuckin' asking to be found."

"That would have been nice." John murmured in an annoyed tone. 

"For you, maybe." he retorted. Before John could fight back, Dave quickly changed the subject. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Weeell," he dragged out, setting the pancakes on two plates for them. "I thought you could maybe tell me about your time away. It'd be nice to know about where the hell my best friend ran off to."

Dave watched him, following him over to the table to begin their meal. "That's gonna take a long time, dude. You sure you got time for that?"

"Sure am! No interruptions, just you and me." John smiled wide, nodding his head. Just as Dave opened his mouth to speak, John's phone went off in his bedroom. "Alright, maybe one interruption."

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, I'll just enjoy Heaven on a plate right here." he shrugged, stabbing his pancake with a fork John laid out and shoving half of it in his mouth.

"Okay, don't choke!" John chuckled, jogging off to his room. He picked up his cell phone from his bedside table, the smile on his face immediately falling when he read the message.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] \--

TT: Good morning, John.

John sighed, running his fingers through his messy hair. He really didn't want to speak with Rose, especially after yesterday. Plus, he didn't trust himself to keep Dave's return a secret. He knew he had to talk to her, though, or else she'd just get more suspicious. 

EB: hey.  
TT: Is it safe to assume that your uncharacteristic response is due to our lunch date yesterday?  
EB: uncharacteristic?  
TT: Yes, uncharacteristic. You are usually much more enthusiastic, adding one or more exclamation points and even a "How are you?" on occasion.  
TT: Also, you didn't answer my question.  
EB: i'm just not feeling too hot today.  
EB: anyways could you make this quick? i'm kind of in the middle of something.  
EB: and don't ask because i'm not telling you what it is!  
TT: I will ignore it for now, but don't think I will forget to ask later.  
TT: Anyways, I pestered you to inform you that Jade and Jake were able to catch an early flight. They will be here in approximately two hours.  
EB: oh thats great!  
TT: Yes, I agree. Would you like Kanaya and I to drive you to the airport, or will you be taking a bus?  
EB: uh...  
EB: i'd really love to come, but i'm feeling really sick!  
EB: tell everyone i say hi, okay?  
TT: This is your family we're talking about, Jonathan. We haven't seen them in years. What is it you're doing that is so much more important?  
EB: nothing!! i'm just sick!  
TT: Were you drinking again, John?  
EB: no!!!!  
EB: look i've got to go, rose.  
EB: i'm really sorry! bye!!  
TT: John.  
\-- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--

John shut off the phone, throwing it onto his bed. Damn Rose and her ability to know everything! Is nothing sacred anymore? He let out another frustrated sigh, nearly jumping when he turned to see Dave leaning against the door frame, pancake in hand.

"'Sup?"

"What are you lurking around for?" John asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You were gone for like 10 minutes, thought I'd make sure you were still breathing in here." he replied, biting into his chocolate chip pancake.

"Well, I am." he stepped past the other, going back into the kitchen to eat his now cold pancakes.

"Why so defensive, Egbert?" Dave asked, following him.

"It's just... Rose was getting on my case 'cause I'm not going to pick up Jade and Jake at the airport." John sighed, sitting down.

Dave sat across from him, examining his face for a moment. John looked very different from when they were only 15, and not only in a good way. Sure, he lost the baby fat and his teeth grew in nicely, but he definitely aged. There were bags under his eyes, showing how little sleep he had gotten in the past while. Dave didn't like him looking so worried and tired. He liked seeing John smile and laugh and be happy, especially by his own doing. 

"Why aren't you going, dude? I can handle myself for a couple hours." Dave shrugged, stretching slightly.

"There's no way I'm leaving you yet. You just got here and we have so much to catch up on!" John nearly yelled, frowning. His real worry was that Dave would leave while John was away, and he wouldn't see him again. He didn't want that to happen. He wanted Dave to stay so they could catch up and talk and laugh and play video games just like old times. He wanted the old Dave back, and he was determined to get him.

"Alright, alright. I give up, you can stay." he smirked, shrugging.

"Damn right, I can! So, tell me about your time away." his smile came back as he leaned forward, anxious to know where his best friend spent his years away.

"Nothing really exciting happened, dude." Dave sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Aw, come on! Tell me about the guys you lived with or something." John suggested, his smile not faltering.

"It was pretty chill, I guess. Until the last year, though. Karkat was all bitchy near me because I broke up with him or whatever. Which didn't really make sense, because he started seeing our friend Terezi right after." Dave paused after noticing the expression on John's face. Fuck, he didn't mention he liked dudes, did he? He decided to keep talking and pretend he never said anything. "Sollux and I were cool, though. Played video games together and shit. He was kind of a douche, but I guess that's why we got along. Gamzee and I hardly talked unless we were smoking or some shit. He was into some hard fucking drugs, man. I can't remember a time he wasn't higher than a god damn jet plane."

Dave only stopped once John finally cut in, not realizing he had been rambling. "Dave...?"

"What? I was talking, dude."

"You're gay?"

Shit.

"Uh, no. I mean, I like dudes, but girls are cool. I guess."

John's eyes were still wide, but he nodded. "Oh..."

"Is, uh... Is that an issue, or?" Dave asked hesitantly.

"What? No, of course not! It's totally fine, I just didn't know!" John scrambled, waving his arms around. He really didn't want to come off as unsupportive, he just didn't expect that at all. He always saw Dave as a lady killer, but he supposed he could get whoever he wanted.

Dave smirked at John's frantic state, but he was relieved. He definitely didn't want things to be weird between the two of them, especially since John let him stay at his apartment. He would probably be out on the streets again if it weren't for him, so he was very thankful.

"It's chill, dude. Don't sweat it." Dave gave him a reassuring smile, which made John visibly relax.

"Alright... I just didn't want you to think I was a homophobic asshole or something! I mean, I sorta don't mind guys either." John shrugged, blushing slightly.

"Damn, this day is filled with surprises." he chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, it really is!" John smiled in return, sitting up. He was really, really, happy Dave was back. He couldn't wait for them to fall into a best friend kind of routine again. He was positive nothing could ruin his mood.

Until he heard a key in the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo it ended on another sort of cliff hanger, i guess??? it's kind of cliche, but i like it anyway uvu i feel like john is a very unlucky sort of guy c: 
> 
> anyway, thanks for reading and hope you come back for more in a week or two!
> 
> EDIT: UGH SORRY ABOUT THE PESTERCHUM FORMATTING I THINK IT'S FIXED NOW


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO much for the wonderful comments and feedback! It helps me a lot and gives me all the more motivation to continue c: I decided to show my appreciation by not ending this chapter with a huge cliff hanger ((even though I totally love them!!)) Hope you enjoy!

Before Dave could even process what was happening, he was being tugged away from the table by his shirt and into John's room. He watched as John scrambled around, looking around before swinging his closet doors open.

"I know it's a tight squeeze, but just hide in here!" he whispered frantically, shoving Dave in and shutting the shuttered doors. "Try not to move or make any noise! I'll explain later!"

Still confused as to what the fuck was going on, Dave peered through the doors as much as he could to look at John. He shifted slightly, trying to stay quiet and not have a hanger up his ass at the same time. John had jumped into his bed and tucked himself in, struggling to calm his breathing down to normal. All of Dave's confusion disappeared when he saw two familiar ladies walk in the room.

"John? Are you awake?"

Rose and Kanaya. His sister, Rose, and her girlfriend. They were standing just a few feet away, totally unaware of his presence. If he wasn't trapped in a closet right now, he would probably laugh at how much they hadn't changed. Rose's hair was still short and clean cut, topped with a headband like always. She even sported that same old black lipstick. Kanaya's short black hair was neatly styled to perfection, suiting her well. She was wearing a strange yet fashionable outfit, one only she could pull off. Not to mention that signature green lipstick that looked surprisingly good on her. Dave's stomach twisted with nostalgia as he watched the scene in front of him. 

"Rose, Kanaya? What are you doing here?" John asked, suddenly sounding miserable and sick. His acting skills had clearly improved over the years, that's for sure.

"We thought we would come and check on you on our way to the airport to make sure that you were doing alright." Kanaya replied in a soft voice, sitting on the edge of John's bed. Rose nodded, standing next to her with a concerned look.

"Oh, I'm fine! I just finished a movie and thought I'd take a nap or something. Rest up so maybe I could come see Jade and Jake later." John lied, sounding sheepish. Dave felt bad for keeping John here. He was sure he would want to go visit his family, but he insisted to stay with Dave as if he were a child. It made him feel special and stupid all at once.

"Is that what you were doing when I messaged you?" Rose asked, clearly skeptical. Dave knew that tone better than anyone, even Kanaya. He had heard it far too many times.

"Yeah! It was the middle of a McConaughey scene, I couldn't miss it! Heh, sorry." 

"Hmm, I see. I suppose that makes sense, then." Rose nodded, seemingly accepting the excuse. Dave knew she hadn't, and wondered why she hadn't said anything more. "I know how much you dislike being interrupted in the middle of a good film."

"Yeah! Heh, thanks."

"Well, I suppose we should let you get some rest. Jade and Jake will be in town for longer than expected, so feel free to call if you would like to come see them." 

"Do you need anything before we leave?" Kanaya asked, earning a shake of the head from John. "Do not hesitate to contact us should you change your mind, alright?"

Dave smiled slightly at Kanaya's mother-like tendencies. She'd probably make a good mom some day. Rose, on the other hand... 

"Alright, thanks guys! Hug Jade and Jake extra tight for me!" he waved, watching as the girls walked out of the room.

"Goodbye, John."

"Have a good rest, dear."

A sigh was heard as the front door opened, shut, and locked again. Dave wasn't really sure if it came from himself or John. He slowly opened the closet door, stepping out carefully as if he would be caught. John started snickering suddenly, earning a confused look from the other.

"What's funny, Egbert?"

"You just... came out of the closet." John barely managed to get the words out before bursting into a laughing fit, even getting a chuckle or two out of Dave.

"You are ten years old, I fucking swear."

"Oh, come on! That was funny and you know it!"

"If we were ten, maybe."

"Quit being such a hard ass!"

"Oh, now you're gonna get it."

With that, Dave jumped onto John's bed and began smothering him with a pillow. John quickly escaped the hold, tackling Dave in the process. They continued wrestling each other, the only noises heard being John's breathy giggles and Dave's disgruntled sounds whenever he was over powered. It went on for several minutes, resulting in them eventually giving up and falling into laughing messes next to each other. 

"I think you lost your fighting mojo, Strider." John spoke through heavy breaths, smirking as he did.

"Naaah," Dave protested with a shake of the head. "Just a bit off my game, is all. It's been a while."

"We could always go get some foam swords and strife like you and Bro used to." he suggested.

Dave tensed up, gritting his teeth slightly. John, being the oblivious guy he was, hardly even noticed and continued.

"Speaking of Bro... are you ever going to go see him? I'm sure he's worried abou-"

"I don't give a shit," Dave snapped, sitting up angrily. John could see, even from here, the anger in Dave's eyes. It was rare for him to get this upset about something. "He can worry himself into his god damn grave for all I care."

"Dave..." John whispered, sitting up slowly. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "He's your brother and he raised you, I think he deserves to know that you're alive and well."

"The only thing that douche deserves from me is an ass beating, alright?" he mumbled through clenched teeth, trying to calm himself down. "Can we not fucking talk about this? I don't want to ruin my first day back."

John sighed, nodding. He didn't want to upset Dave, but he didn't understand how he could have so much hatred for the man that raised him. He couldn't never hate his father that much, or anyone, really! He and Dave had always been quite different in that respect, though, so he supposed it was nothing new. He had to keep his friend's feelings in mind, and just make sure he was alright.

Dave mumbled a quiet "Thank you", running his fingers through his cheaply dyed ginger hair. It bothered John a lot, as he was used to the trade mark bleach blond hair of the Strider/Lalonde family. It's not that the new colour didn't look good on him, it just wasn't... Dave. Of course, he still made it look good. John discovered he could do that with pretty much anything years ago.

"Hey, why don't I go get some bleach and we can make you blond again?" he suggested, smiling eagerly.

Dave smirked, "You like hot blonds, huh?" 

"Hey, I never said that!" John pouted, blushing fiercely.

"Your red face is tellin' me all your dirty little secrets, Egbert." he debated, clearly amused.

"My face isn't red, asshole!" John argued, crossing his arms in anger.

"Did you pack on some blush this morning, then?" The red head reached over, pinching the other's cheek.

John flailed around, slapping Dave's hands away with a frown. "You're such a dick! Get out so I can change."

Dave obeyed, leaving with his smirk still present. John quickly threw on some nicer clothes, putting on some cologne and not even looking at his hair before he walked back out into the living room. Dave was peering over the couch, examining John's outfit choice. A blue tee-shirt with a strange symbol and some brown khaki shorts. It was clear that his clothing style really hadn't changed at all. He could only imagine all the times Kanaya tried to coach John in the magical world of fashion she was so fond of. He chuckled inwardly at that thought.

"Alright, I'll be back. Try not to break anything, please." John pleaded, grabbing his keys. "And if you're not here when I get back, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

"My god, Egbert; did you just fucking quote Taken?"

"Maaaaaybe! See you later, Dave!" he exclaimed, his voice cheerful and friendly. Typical John.

He smiled as he watched the black haired boy leave, waving as he went. It was nice to see he was still the same old movie dork he had been before. It was one of the many things Dave liked about his best friend. As annoying as it was sometimes, it was one of the many things that just made him John. Dave felt a familiar pang in his stomach, causing him to shake his head frantically.

"Fuck, Dave. It's your first day back; you definitely do NOT have feelings for this kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay! Sorry it's a little short, this chapter didn't really have anything exciting so I didn't want to drag it out longer than I had to! This was posted a little later than I wanted because I wanted to wait until the 25th! The first chapter was posted a month ago, can you believe it? I guess that's not too long ago, but it still seems like it is! Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Feel free to tell me what you think here or on my tumblr! andrevvhussie.tumblr.com c; see you soon!!
> 
> EDIT: I've got outlines for the next like, three chapters!! I'm doing as much planning as I can for future chapters because school is starting next week and I want to be able to update regularly still! I think I'll be able to post updates every week, but it might go a bit over that. There's some really exciting things coming up in the fic, so stay tuned!


	5. im s o sorry this is jus t an update thing

im so upset bc when i started writing this i promised myself i wouldn't do the thing where u write an update but everyone thinks its a new chapter because i HATE THA T

anyway im so sorry but yeah 

i haven't written in like twenty five years bc i lost all motivation to continue writing this because all my shit kept being deleted but i j ust suddenly got motivation to write so hopefully i will have something up for you guys in a bout a week but possibly longer now that school has started and i've got a couple of assignments to finish up on

as usual you can find me on my tumblr but i changed the url and it's now taynarvaezjr instead of andrevvhussie but yeah you can come by and ask for updates if you're curious that would be cool :--) 

alright see you guys soon!! <33


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